Why is "the Lord thy God" mentioned in the first commandments but not the last five?
Scripture presents the first five commandments as connected to the declaration "I am the Lord thy God," the One who brought Israel out of Egypt. The last five commandments are not introduced with that phrase. The supplied teaching notes this contrast but does not give an explicit reason for why the phrase appears only in the first five.
Les teaches that the Ten Commandments are given specifically to the nation of Israel, yet they also reflect a moral fabric necessary for any society. He emphasizes that all five of the first commandments are connected with the statement "the Lord thy God," while the last five never mention it. Reading the commandments, he shows the phrase in the opening: "I am the Lord thy God, who hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." The second commandment repeats, "for I am the Lord thy God," and God calls Himself a jealous God. Les tells his audience to be aware of this distinction, though the transcript does not explain why the last five omit the phrase.
I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
More Questions
What is the first of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20?
The first commandment, 'thou shalt have no other gods before me,' follows the preamble 'I am the Lord thy God, who hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.'
Which verses in Exodus 20 are the first and second commandments?
The first commandment is "thou shalt have no other gods before me" in verse 3, and the second commandment, forbidding graven images, is in verse 4.